Eyes in the Snow
by Redwut
Summary: Leaf-bare is hitting hard. Whitecough is spreading throughout the camp, and if that's not enough, Redpaw and the apprentices of Thunderclan are noticing strange messages and threats. Cats are found dead, and no one can explain it. What's going on, and will Redpaw and her friends get to the bottom of it?
1. Chapter 1

The wind was howling like wolves, it's voice carrying through the vast forest. It was snowing heavily, and the starry night sky was barely visible above the white flakes swimming in the air. A cat as dark as midnight padded among the trees.

Darkstar. He was unaware of his stalker stealthily crouched in the undergrowth. Darkstar flicked his tail. Dozens of cats emerged out of the darkness of the shadows, their eyes shining like stars in the night.

A small red-furred apprentice waited among them. Redpaw was on her third patrol as an apprentice, but she was told that this was no ordinary patrol. Her mentor, Goldfur, had told her just to follow what everyone else was doing. So she did. Silent as mouses, they crept towards the Sunning Rocks. The stalker flicked his tail, and a battle broke out.

Dozens of hidden cats jumped and attacked. Redpaw starred in bewilderment as a thick-furred Riverclan apprentice jumped onto her back. Redpaw threw the cat off her and swiped at his muzzle. The Riverclan cat bounded away.

Redpaw looked across the clearing. Darkstar hissed and leaped onto Twostar's back, clawing and yowling like a rabid dog. Twostar screeched and hissed and flung the wiry black cat off his gray fur. Darkstar's deputy, Goldfur, scratched at Twostar in anger. Twostar flicked his tail in irritation and pinned Goldfur down. The large gray tabby hissed. "Why even try to take back the Sunning Rocks. Our borders are meant to keep you Thunderclans out!" He spat.

Redpaw bounded over and swiped at the large gray cat's weird double tail. Twostar whipped around and jumped onto Redpaw's back. She yowled in pain and wriggled out from underneath the giant cat. As she attempted to get away, Twostar bit into her leg and tore at it with his powerful jaws. Redpaw yowled her pain even louder.

Goldfur bounded over and struck Twostar's tail with his unsheathed claws. Twostar whipped around and pinned the golden cat down. Goldfur struggled against Twostar's firm grip. Twostar dug his claws into the golden cat. Goldfur meowed his pain. "Long live Thunderclan!" He croaked. Twostar bit into his neck. Goldfur yowled.

"Long live Riverclan." Twostar muttered.

Meanwhile, Twostar's deputy, Silverfang, was in a tight spot with Darkstar. She clawed and scratched like the fierce warrior she was, even in strength with the slim Thunderclan leader. She rolled him onto his back and pinned him down. With a fierce hiss, she swiped at his muzzle, and let him bound away.

The Thunderclan leader bounded past Redpaw, who struggled to get up. The battle was ending, the Riverclan warriors yowling in victory and the Thunderclans running away. Redpaw limped over to Goldfur, who lay on his back, hardly breathing. Redpaw attempted to carry him on her back. Her small body could hardly hold the weight of her mentor. She limped as far as she could get with a torn leg and a heavy cat in her aching back, and collapsed in the deep snow.


	2. Chapter 2

Darkstar trudged back through the snow with most of Thunderclan behind him. Foxfur walked beside him, head hung low. Darkstar hissed. "Tonight's defeat was most depressing. Beaten on our own territory!" He yowled. "How could Riverclan possibly know we were coming?" Foxfur shook her head.

"Next time, Darkstar." She meowed.  
"But-Thunderclan is weak, Foxfur." Darkstar relaxed his tone. "Leaf-bare is hitting hard, and we cannot afford any more territory loss."

Suddenly, Tallpaw rushed up to Darkstar. "Where's Redpaw?" He said in alarm. The tall apprentice raced around anxiously. "And Goldfur? Where's Goldfur? We need a patrol!" Tallpaw said before Darkstar could reply. "Hawkfeather! Stripepaw! Ivypaw! Come here!" The three cats he called came bounding over. "Foxfur, you come too. Bluepaw!" He called. Bluepaw raced over. She looked confused.

"We're going to go find her." Tallpaw answered. He raced off with the cats he called hot on his tail. Foxfur glanced back at a bewildered Darkstar. She smiled and shrugged, and he didn't try to stop her.

After a bit of retracing their steps, Tallpaw called all the cats on his patrol over. "I found them!" He announced. At first Foxfur saw no cat, until Tallpaw began to dig. Stripepaw hissed playfully as Bluepaw chucked snow on him. "C'mon, help!" Tallpaw meowed impatiently. Foxfur started to help, and then she saw Redpaw's head.

As they dug, they came to realize that Goldfur lay on top of Redpaw. _The poor thing_ , Foxfur thought. _She must have tried to carry Goldfur_. They continued to dig until they had both of the cats out. They carried them back to the camp, and they could feel the shivering of the unconscious cats as they trudged through the snow.


	3. Chapter 3

"Redpaw? REDPAW?" Bluepaw stood over Redpaw in Poppyseed's den. Herbs of various colours were stashed around the den, crushed and not, from bloomed flowers to green weeds to the tiniest berries. Redpaw lifted her head. A spasm of pain ran down her back. She immediately collapsed. "Don't move." Poppyseed warned. The graceful she-cat was tending to Goldfur's wounds. He lay unmoving as she wrapped his wounds in cobwebs. Redpaw herself had cobwebs covering her hind leg, and some sort of herb rubbed on her back, with leaves covering it. Poppy seeds sat in front of her.

"Wha... What happened...?" She stammered. Bluepaw, Redpaw's sister, began to explain. "Well, after the battle, Tallpaw began to get worried that you weren't coming back, so he organized a patrol by himselfto come find you." Tallpaw and Redpaw had been best friends since kit hood. They always watched each others backs, and clearly Tallpaw had Redpaw's back here.

"I came, as well as Stripepaw, Ivypaw, Hawkfeather and Foxfur. So, we found you and Goldfur in the snow, half covered and Goldfur on top of you. Did you try to carry him?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "You had a crazy messed up leg, and Poppyseed noted that you are definitely going to have some back issues. Also, you probably are going to have a cold, she said." As Bluepaw said that, Redpaw sneezed.

 _Oh no._ She thought. Being sick during leafbare could lead to whitecough, and eventually greencough. Redpaw shuttered _._ Greencough could kill cats.

"Hey, you've got some visitors!" Poppyseed meowed to Redpaw. "There are three. Come on, kitty. It's their turn." She meowed at Bluepaw. Bluepaw gave Redpaw one last look of sympathy before she padded away.

In came Ivypaw, Redpaw's energetic friend. "Are you okay?" She was less energetic now, Redpaw noticed. Redpaw nodded painfully. "Tallpaw and Stripepaw are here too." Ivypaw sat down beside her. As soon as she did so, Poppyseed hissed.

"Don't touch her, you fool! You could catch her cold!" Ivypaw quickly leaped up and backed away. "You can leave now." Poppyseed said, more gently. Ivypaw meowed a quick good bye and left. Quite a short visit, it was.

Tallpaw and Stripepaw padded in. As they did, Redpaw entered into a series of terrible coughs, and Poppyseed rushed to her side. Tallpaw and Stripepaw backed up slightly, afraid of what had happened. After a moment the medicine cat got up and fed Redpaw some poppy seeds. "Fetch Darkstar." She meowed quickly. Stripepaw nodded and bound off.

Tallpaw looked down at Redpaw. She was peacefully sleeping, put to sleep by the poppy seeds almost imediantly. He shuddered. She must be terribly weak to fall asleep so quickly! He worried about her condition, and if he might lose his best friend to something as severe as greencough.

Stripepaw came back with the skinny dark leader. Stripepaw looked worried, he too was scared for Redpaw. Bluepaw and Ivypaw came as well, listening at the entrance to the den, also concerned. Poppyseed gestured for Darkstar to come closer. Her face was grave, and the apprentices braced for the worst.

Poppyseed drew in a deep breath. "Redpaw and Goldfur have whitecough. And by the looks of it, it may become greencough."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, I am back with a new chapter! Okay, I'll admit that I kind of gave up on this story. I really didn't like the plot and didn't think anyone else did either. But I'm back, and hopefully so is this story!**

It was two days after Poppyseed had announced the sickness among the two cats, and it seemed to have spread. Sunblaze had gotten whitecough but quickly recovered, since he was such a strong warrior. Tallpaw admired and looked up to him. Owlface, Sunblaze's mate, had whitecough, as well as Sproutkit, their kit. When kits have whitecough, death usually came with it. Tallpaw shuttered. He had lost his brother, Twigkit, to whitecough when he had only just been born.

Redpaw was slowly getting better, but Goldfur was not. Some warriors had made a small stick den lined with moss for the sick cats to stay quarantined in, but Poppyseed had insisted that Goldfur stayed with her. She was worried about Goldfur's health, and if greencough was to come.

The apprentices barley trained, with all the commotion around them. Warriors were sent on extra patrols and hunting trips to stock up on food for the cold, hard leaf-bare. Foxtail, Sunblaze and Hawkfeather had dug out a spot in the snow to store fresh-kill, and worked on it constantly as snow covered it over and over again.

Cats could barley trudge through the snow this moon, it was up to a cat's muzzle. Even Tallpaw had trouble, and he was one of the tallest cats in Thunderclan, despite his age.

Sunblaze padded by, looking gloomy. "Sunblaze!" He meowed. Sunblaze meowed hello. "How is Owlface?" Tallpaw asked. Sunblaze perked up. "She is getting much better!" He exclaimed. Then his face dropped again. "But... Sproutkit... she isn't doing too well." Sunblaze looked down. "I am afraid we are going to loose her." Tallpaw flicked his tail over Sunblaze's ear. "She'll be okay." He said sympathetically. Sunblaze sighed and looked at the camp.

"Look at us, Tallpaw. Thunderclan is in for a hard leafbare. Owlface and I have already lost two kits." Sunblaze meowed solemnly. "We can't afford to lose another." Tallpaw rubbed his shoulder against Sunblaze.

"Stay strong, Sunblaze. Be strong for Sproutkit." Tallpaw said.

"Would you like to come see her?" Sunblaze asked. Tallpaw nodded, and they padded off, towards the twig den where the sick cats lay. As Tallpaw peered in, he saw Owlface and Redpaw sharing tongues, but Sproutkit in the corner fast asleep. Owlface jumped up and meowed hello. "Hello. How is Sproutkit?" Tallpaw asked. Owlface looked down.

"She isn't doing to well." She said.

"Perhaps you should ask Poppyseed to look at her." Tallpaw suggested. Owlface nodded.

"Yes. I will. I also think that I am ready to get out of here." And with that, Owlface walked out of the den. "Would you like some fresh-kill?" Sunblaze asked. Tallpaw meowed yes and made a move to walk out, but stopped when Sunblaze did not follow him. The warrior was watching Sproutkit sleep. A pang of sympathy stabbed in Tallpaw's heart. He did not enjoy watching Sunblaze so sad.

"Sunblaze." Tallpaw gently urged. Sunblaze looked up, and Tallpaw noticed tears in his eyes.

"She's gonna die." He said.

"No, she's not. You have to believe that she will live." Tallpaw encouraged.

"Tallpaw. You don't understand. We've already lost Breezekit to whitecough and Rainkit died just after she was born. I can't take this anymore! Does Starclan not care? Has Starclan given up?" Sunblaze's eyes were glazed with anger and defeat.

Then he looked past Tallpaw hopefully as Poppyseed padded in gracefully, Owlface hot on her heels. Poppyseed examined the kit. She muttered under her breath, something about a fever. Then Bluepaw padded in, surprising Tallpaw.

"What are you doing here?" He asked Bluepaw.

"Poppyseed needed help with collecting catmint, so after that I decided to stay and help her." She explained through a mouthful of catmint. She dropped the catmint and lowered her voice down to a whisper. "Goldfur has greencough, and, to be honest, I'm really enjoying helping her out." Bluepaw admitted. Tallpaw stared at her in astonishment.

"But you're training to be a warrior!" He exclaimed.

"I know. But you wouldn't stop me if my heart lay elsewhere, would you?" She questioned. He knew she was right. If her heart lay on the path of a medicine cat, he couldn't stop her. Bluepaw picked up her catmint and walked over to Poppyseed, who was calming Owlface.

He walked out into the snow and towards the fresh-kill pile, meowing hello to Foxtail and Thistleflight, who were sharing toungues. Tallpaw was about to grab himself and Redpaw a piece of fresh-kill when he realized that there was none. Panic rose in his belly. Before he could say anything, Ivypaw burst in front of him.

"No fresh-kill?" She hollered in panic. Somewhere past the barrier of snow, Tallpaw heard Halfear yowl, "No fresh-kill?! Thunderclan will starve!" Other yowls of worry broke out after Halfear's words. "The end is near!" The old cat meowed dramatically. Tallpaw sighed. Halfear had yet again started commotion among the clan.

Hardstep stalked through the snow. His strong shoulders pushed passed Tallpaw and Ivypaw with ease, pushing Ivypaw over. He took one look at the pile and scowled even deeper then he usually did. "Hmph." He murmured. He did this when he was thinking, and he sat down in the soft snow, letting his thick gray and black striped tail lay over his large paws. Looking at him, Tallpaw noticed that even though Hardstep was an experienced senior warrior, Tallpaw was almost double the old cat's height. He let out a purr of amusement.

"What's so funny, big-ears?" Hardstep challenged. Tallpaw flattened his ears and shrank down, trying to hide himself. No cat had made fun of his abnormally large ears in a long time, and he was hoping to keep it that way, despite hearing whispers about them every here and there. "That's what I thought." Hardstep said in his usual grumpy tone.

Hawkfeather walked through the snow and met them. His eyes went wide when his fears were proved: there really was no fresh-kill. "I... uh... I need a hunting patrol." He stammered.

"I'll go!" Ivypaw piped up enthusiastically. "I'll get some others!" Ivypaw ran off.

"Be sure to get at least three warriors. Grab Stripepaw, too!" Hawkfeather hollered after her. Tallpaw went off to find Stripepaw. He pushed through the snow, making his way towards the apprentices den. As he walked along, he noticed something rather... different. A trail of leaves ran through the snow in a line. Perplexed, Tallpaw began to follow it. The trail led to the dirt place and wound through it, then led into a secret way out. Tallpaw followed the trail out a bit more cautiously, then stopped dead in his tracks. Before him, the body of Owlface lay.

 **Okay! Reviews are very much appreciated. In other words, please review!**

 **Thanks!  
-Red**


	5. Note, please read

**I am so sorry but something went wrong and I can't find my file for this story! I think I might of accidentally deleted it or something... Everything I wrote for this story is gone and I'm kinda upset but I'm really sorry for everyone who wanted me to update it. I'll try to continue this story but it's going to be hard, considering I have other stories I'm working on. I'm really sorry...**


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